A way to move past “not good enough”.

A way to move past “not good enough”.

If there’s one world I understand, it’s the dance world. I know dancers, And I know dancers loooooove to compare themselves to each other, spending an unreasonable amount of time wishing they moved like someone else.

There are a lot of “zen” articles on google about how dangerous it is to compare: it robs us of joy and takes away our ability to be present in the moment. We’ve all heard the words, so instead of philosophy, I’d like to share my own personal tip for dealing with comparison, jealousy, and any related nasty cousins.

Give a compliment.

Yup. That’s it.

“I love way you dance. It’s beautiful.”

Why is it so powerful?

1. It reprograms your mind to see others through a filter of kindness.
2. It gets you out of a poor mental state and pumps a little Serotonin.
3. It humanizes a connection that a moment ago was a source of grief.

So many times when I have complimented someone, they’ve responded with a surprising confession of their own struggle or disbelief in themselves. Everyone is struggling, and those words of kindness can go so far.

And for you? Well, if you can’t quite comprehend the unique wonderfulness that is you, then learn to repeat these two words:

Not yet is temporal. Not yet says “in progress”. There is always more after not yet.

I’d like to take a moment and celebrate this gal: Hannah (Banana, Hantah, Kweentie).

This girl started with us when she was 17 years old, and once she started, she never left. We watched her grow, mature, and work her tail off, forever dedicated to the studio and her training. Most of you have seen how far she’s come: teaching two classes, dancing for Tropicaleiza, drumming in Muvuca, and working the front desk. She is one of the most stable blessings the studio has had, not to mention all kinds of dance fierceness.

In the spirit of comparison, while making this video, Hannah told me that the one part she wanted to make sure we included were her words about how long it’s taken to get here and how far she still has to go. She wanted people to know the true struggle behind the journey to becoming a dancer.